Stmt re Recommended Merger

Barclays PLC
03 May 2007

This document shall not constitute an offer to sell or buy or the solicitation
of an offer to buy or sell any securities, nor shall there be any sale or
purchase of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or
sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the
securities laws of any such jurisdiction. The availability of Barclays offer to
persons not resident in the United States, the Netherlands and the United
Kingdom may be affected by the laws of the relevant jurisdictions. Such persons
should inform themselves about and observe any applicable requirements.


                                                                    3rd May 2007

                                  BARCLAYS PLC

BARCLAYS NOTES THE DUTCH ENTERPRISE COURT'S RULING AFFECTING ABN AMRO'S CONTRACT
                       TO SELL LASALLE TO BANK OF AMERICA

Barclays PLC ('Barclays') notes today's judgment by the Dutch Enterprise Court
affecting ABN AMRO Bank N.V.'s contract to sell LaSalle Bank Corporation
('LaSalle') to Bank of America.

Barclays is continuing to pursue its recommended merger with ABN AMRO which
offers significant value to shareholders.


                                    - ENDS -

For further information please contact:


Media Relations
Stephen Whitehead/Alistair Smith
Office: [phone]/6132

Investor Relations
James S Johnson
Telephone: [phone]


About Barclays
Barclays is a major global financial services provider engaged in retail and
commercial banking, credit cards, investment banking, wealth management and
investment management services with an extensive international presence in
Europe, the USA, Africa and Asia. It is one of the largest financial services
companies in the world by market capitalisation. With over 300 years of history
and expertise in banking, Barclays operates in over 50 countries and employs
123,000 people. Barclays moves, lends, invests and protects money for over 27
million customers and clients worldwide. For further information about Barclays,
please visit our website www.Barclays.com.


Other Information
This announcement is an announcement within the meaning of article 9b of the
Dutch Securities Market Supervision Decree 1995 (Besluit toezicht
effectenverkeer 1995).

This document shall not constitute an offer to sell or buy or the solicitation
of an offer to buy or sell any securities, nor shall there be any sale or
purchase of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or
sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the
securities laws of any such jurisdiction. The availability of Barclays offer to
persons not resident in the United States, the Netherlands and the United
Kingdom may be affected by the laws of the relevant jurisdictions (the
'Restricted Jurisdictions'). Such persons should inform themselves about and
observe any applicable requirements.

The offer will not be made, directly or indirectly, in any Restricted
Jurisdiction unless by means of lawful prior registration or qualification under
the applicable laws of the Restricted Jurisdiction, or under an exemption from
such requirements including, in the case of the US, except by means of a
prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the US Securities Act of
1933, as amended. Accordingly, copies of this announcement are not being, and
must not be, mailed or otherwise distributed or sent in, into or from such
Restricted Jurisdiction. Persons receiving this announcement (including, without
limitation, custodians, nominees and trustees) must not distribute, mail or send
it in, into or from any Restricted Jurisdiction, and so doing may render any
purported acceptance of the offer invalid.

Future SEC Filings and this Filing: Important Information

In connection with the proposed business combination transaction between ABN
AMRO and Barclays, Barclays expects it will file with the SEC a Registration
Statement on Form F-4, which will constitute a prospectus, as well as a Tender
Offer Statement on Schedule TO and other relevant materials. In addition, ABN
AMRO expects that it will file with the SEC a Solicitation/Recommendation
Statement on Schedule 14D-9 and other relevant materials. Such documents,
however, are not currently available.

INVESTORS ARE URGED TO READ ANY DOCUMENTS REGARDING THE POTENTIAL TRANSACTION IF
AND WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE, BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION.

Investors will be able to obtain a free copy of such filings without charge, at
the SEC's website (www.sec.gov) once such documents are filed with the SEC.
Copies of such documents may also be obtained from ABN AMRO and Barclays without
charge, once they are filed with the SEC.

Forward Looking Statements
This document contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of
Section 21E of the US Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Section
27A of the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended, with respect to certain of ABN
AMRO's and Barclays plans and their current goals and expectations relating to
their future financial condition and performance and which involve a number of
risks and uncertainties. Barclays caution readers that no forward-looking
statement is a guarantee of future performance and that actual results could
differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. These
forward-looking statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate
only to historical or current facts. Forward-looking statements sometimes use
words such as 'aim', 'anticipate', 'target', 'expect', 'estimate', 'intend',
'plan', 'goal', 'believe', or other words of similar meaning. Examples of
forward-looking statements include, among others, statements regarding the
consummation of the business combination between ABN AMRO and Barclays within
the expected timeframe and on the expected terms (if at all), the benefits of
the business combination transaction involving ABN AMRO and Barclays, including
the achievement of synergy targets, ABN AMRO's and Barclays future financial
position, income growth, impairment charges, business strategy, projected costs
and estimates of capital expenditure and revenue benefits, projected levels of
growth in the banking and financial markets, the combined group's future
financial and operating results, future financial position, projected costs and
estimates of capital expenditures, and plans and objectives for future
operations of ABN AMRO, Barclays and the combined group and other statements
that are not historical fact. Additional risks and factors are identified in ABN
AMRO and Barclays filings with the SEC including ABN AMRO and Barclays Annual
Reports on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2006, which are
available on ABN AMRO's website at www.abnamro.com and Barclays website at
www.barclays.com respectively, and on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.

Any forward-looking statements made herein speak only as of the date they are
made. Barclays does not undertake to update forward-looking statements to
reflect any changes in expectations with regard thereto or any changes in
events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based. The
reader should, however, consult any additional disclosures that ABN AMRO and
Barclays have made or may make in documents they have filed or may file with the
SEC.

Nothing in this announcement is intended, or is to be construed, as a profit
forecast or to be interpreted to mean that earnings per ABN AMRO or Barclays
share for the current or future financial years, or those of the combined group,
will necessarily match or exceed the historical published earnings per ABN AMRO
or Barclays share.



                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange